Great Gatsby & the Roaring Twenties: Question 1

The caption to the article reads: “Sorting people by ‘merit’ will do nothing to fix inequality.”

Provides an historical overview of the phrase “American Dream” and traces how the novel relates to critiques of capitalism present in the 1920s.

An essay by a Silicon Valley parent about the pressure of privilege and the effort to define what really matters.

This article asserts that “By talking plainly about her qualifications, Harris embodies progress,” but questions if the country will accept an unapologetically ambitious and accomplished woman.

This article addresses how parenting anxiety in wealthy communities manifests in the pursuit of educational and academic outcomes.

Looks at research exploring the relationship between wealth, social class, greed and compassion.

A few recent scholars, elaborating on how thoroughly Gatsby tries to erase his true origin as James Gatz, suggest that he may have been of Jewish or African descent, thus positioning Gatsby’s tale as a way to learn more about the American phenomenon of “passing” as white. This article serves as an introduction to Jewish “white-passing,” while the articles in the adjacent comment are more in-depth.

Offers an accessible and detailed introduction to the 2019 college admissions scandal.

This long-format article ties a rising culture of marital infidelity to the simultaneous shift from Communism to the growth of consumerist culture in Russia.

Written in the wake of the college-admissions scandal of 2019, “A look at some of the many ways that affluent applicants have an edge -- without bribery.”

This opinion piece critiques the “helicopter” parenting style (a highly involved form of parenting), drawing on examples from the 2019 college admissions scandal.

The author presents a documented analysis of the major ethics themes in the book including, for example, moral growth, Gatsby's life of illusion, the withering of the American Dream, and the parallels between the 1920s and the 1980s.

News article from the beginning of the college admissions scandal, featuring excellent background information and lots of other sources you can click on.

An article about how “The scandal could break down misconceptions about money, merit, and status.”

This video infographic shows what people believe about the distribution of wealth versus the reality.

Author of "The Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper-Middle Class is Leaving Everyone in the Dust," challenges the extent to which America is an equal-opportunity meritocracy.

An article describing recent suicide clusters in Palo Alto and the efforts being made to understand the cause and address the underlying issues.

Examines the recent trend of college women who use specialized online dating sites to find wealthy older men.

This long-format essay reviews how different thinkers have questioned the nature of equality, and explores what implications this has for societies that, like America, value equality on some level.

Author Sales investigates how a growing number of young people are selling their bodies online.

In this excerpt from Sandel’s book, the author argues that the idea of America as a meritocracy is “self-deluding” and “promotes divisiveness.”

Mr. Schafer responds to the Assembly speech given by Antonio Lopez [also included in the Project Sources] and a follow-up assembly where students of color addressed the community, offering his own perspective on equal opportunity in education and beyond.

Memoiristic book review of Anna Weiner’s San Francisco/Silicon Valley memoir, Uncanny Valley, which critiques the tech world’s reputation for exciting, purposeful, socially-conscious employment. Book excerpt at https://nplusonemag.com/issue-25/on-the-fringe/uncanny-valley/

“In this extract from her new book, Rachel Sherman sets out to understand how wealthy parents decide to spend their money – and enters a tortuous world of moral conflict and self-doubt.”

In this Opinion-Editorial based in research for her book, Sherman documents the guilt and coping mechanisms of rich New York residents who do not want to identify with their socio-economic class and hope to find self-worth outside of it.

Traces the “drift in meaning” of the phrase “the American Dream.”

An assistant editor analyzes Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and argues that the social dynamics explored in the text both mirror and explain the behavior of President Trump.

“Before there was mansplaining, there was Rebecca Solnit's 2008 critique of male arrogance. Reprinted here with a new introduction.”

This long-format essay examines the issue of student stress and how schools and communities are combating it.

This long format article examines the psychology of ambition and individualism from the perspective of the Millennial generation.

Examines the recent trend of college women who use specialized online dating sites to find wealthy older men